On a breezy, sunny April Fools’ Day, several hundred people marched through downtown San Francisco to celebrate parking meters, feather dusters, bean dip and organized religion, among other absurdities.
Few things are as only-in-San Francisco as the annual St. Stupid’s Day Parade, an April 1 tradition. Ed Holmes, aka Bishop Joey of the First Church of the Last Laugh, started the march through the city’s Financial District back in 1979 as an ironic ode to capitalism.
The parade has since incorporated quite a few unusual rituals, from throwing lottery tickets up in the air outside the Federal Reserve Building to marchers chanting “Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!” Holmes, who was once a submarine mechanic in the U.S. Navy, later performed for years with the SF Mime Troupe. In past years, he has kicked off the parade by mooning the crowd from a float adorned with three giant dachshund heads in the style of the Bay Area’s beloved Doggie Diner restaurant chain, which closed down in 1986.
This year’s event drew the usual assortment of people in all manner of silly costumes, with accessories ranging from “fruit loop” hats to Trump dolls.
Paradegoer Barron Scott Levkoff wore a white top hat and a Salvador Dali mustache. He said he’s been attending the parade since the 1990s. He summed up the vibe: “You should be here, because you’re stupid, too!”
